It stands the reason that an American town named after a German city would have a brewery. The father-son team of John Russo Sr. and John Russo Jr. opened the doors of Hamburg Brewing Company in the Erie County town of the same name.

Hamburg ales are available in bottles and on tap throughout Western New York, with distribution reaching as far west as the Rochester area. It brews seven beers year round, three seasonals, and a handful of limited releases. For this review, we will try a saison and an Irish-style red ale.

Tasting Notes

Brewery: Hamburg Brewing Company, 6553 Boston State Road, Hamburg, NY; (716) 649-3249Beer: Small TownStyle: Saison/farmhouse aleAlcohol content: 5.2 percentPrice: $9.99 to $10.99 per six pack of bottles.Find it: On tap and in bottles at large supermarkets, bottle shops, and bars with large craft beer menus in Western New York.

Look: Golden and translucent with a pillowy white head. Constant stream of carbonation flows through the glass.Aroma: Floral and with that telltale yeasty smell found in saisons.Taste: Exactly what you would expect from a saison. Lots of floral flavors with a tanginess from the yeast. Faint black pepper notes that are enhanced by the carbonation.Feel (mouthfeel, body): Dry throughout with a steady stream of bubbles, like a champagne. Somewhat creamy mouthfeel with medium body, and a good alcohol warmth.Overall: Few Upstate breweries venture into saisons, likely because the yeast issues that accompany this style can make preparation, fermentation and cleanup rather labor intensive. It's a very good rendition of the style -- one of my favorite types of beer -- and gets me thinking about it would taste when infused with fruit or herbs.

Brewery: Hamburg Brewing Company, 6553 Boston State Road, Hamburg, NY; (716) 649-3249Beer: Irish RedStyle: Irish-style red aleAlcohol content: 4.8 percentPrice: $9.99 to $10.99 per six pack of bottles.Find it: On tap and in bottles at large supermarkets, bottle shops, and bars with large craft beer menus in Western New York.

Look: Amber-to-red in hue. Clean and clear in complexion with a gentle lacing on top.Aroma: A nice roasty, sweet aroma from the three different malts employed.Taste: Malty sweet up front, with a bready biscuit back. In between was a nice hoppy burn.Feel (mouthfeel, body): Medium body and weight, accentuated by a creamy, watery body.Overall: It's a different beer. It has many characteristics -- malt roast, bready, sweet -- of a darker lager or lighter bock. It's the hops that break up this malt-forward ale. Reds have earned a bad reputation and the macro brewery versions have not helped the style gain traction. Seasonal offerings from Saranac Brewery and Great Lakes Brewing Company are reminders that red beer can be good. And Hamburg's Irish Red shows that it deserves year-round billing.

While his friends were drinking Labatt Blue and Milwaukee's Best, Jared Paventi spent his college days in Western New York searching for Samuel Adams and Pete's Wicked Ale. He wanders bottle shops like a child at a toy store, and writes about beer and food at his website, Al Dente.